Safety closure device for a container



Feb. 27, 1968 J. J. EHRBAR 3,370,731

SAFETY CLOSURE DEVICE FOR A CONTAINER Filed June 6, 1966 FIG.3

INVENTOR. JOHN J. EHRBAR A TORNEYS United States Patent 3,370,731 SAFETYCLQSURE DEVICE FOR A CGNTAENER John J. Ehrbar, 5097 Garhor Drive,Warren, Mich. 48992 Filed June 6, 1%6, Ser. No. 555,474 1 Claim. (Cl.215-9) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An assembly including a container anda safety closure therefor is disclosed which requires severalmanipulations to open. The assembly comprises a container having acylindrical neck at the top end thereof and integral threads molded onthe cylindrical neck. The safety closure includes an interior cup-shapedcap element adapted to engage and seal the threaded neck of thecontainer. An exterior cup-shaped element fits concentrically over theinterior cap element and is loosely connected thereto by means of acentrally located coupling element. The depending collar of the exteriorcap element is provided with a relatively small opening which is adaptedto be aligned with a relatively small recess provided in the collar ofthe interior cap element. The corresponding The safety closure device ofthe present invention is primarily designed for use on containers orbottles contaming poisons or otherwise dangerous materials, such ascertain pharmaceutical products, and has as its principal feature theprovision of a safety cap which is adapted to prevent accidental removalof the contents from the container and subsequent accidental usage oringestion of the contents.

The safety cap or closure device as contemplated by the presentinvention includes an inner or interior cap element adapted to bethreaded tightly on the threaded neck of a container in the manner of anordinary cap, and an outer of exterior cap element which subsequentlyencloses and is freely rotatable on the interior cap element. Thus theuser cannot, by grasping the outer cap element, exert sufiicienttorsional force on the interior cap element to remove the latter fromthe neck of the container. The outer cap element is provided with anopening in the collar thereof through which a tool may be inserted toengage the outer surface of the collar on the inner cap element.Thereafter, the interior and exterior cap elements are held together asa unit by the tool so as to permit relative rotation between the unitformed by the cap elements and the container. The utilization of a tooland its usage with the safety closure device of the present inventionare, of course, conscious actions of the user requiring a relativedegree of alertness and concentration while simultaneously serving as aneffective reminder to the user that the container contains a dangerousor harmful substance and that use thereof should first be carefullychecked and verified. A further safety precaution is the provision ofthe opening in the collar of the exterior cap element which, after theexterior cap element is rotated, is brought into generally radialalignment with a recess provided in the collar of the interior capelement and into which the leading end of the tool is inserted. This isa visual operation which cannot easily be performed in the dark. Theuser must therefore open the container in the presence of light. Thisadditional provision further reduces the possibility that the user mightbe deceived, for example, when removing a bottle from a medicine cabinetin the dark.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a safety closuredevice or cap which requires a series of skillful manipulations in orderto remove the closure device from the container.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a container whichis of conventional construction, in so far as it is equipped with theusual threads on the neck thereof, and a safety closure or cap thereforwhich may be easily manipulated by adults but may only be manipulatedwith dificulty by small children so that the medicines, corrosivesubstances, poisons or other dangerous types of material may be placedand kept in the container with relative safety to children of tenderage.

It is thus another object of this invention to provide a simplified lowcost structure of the aforementioned type having certain advantagescontributing to efficiency, reliability and long life as well as ease ofmaintenance.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearlyshown.

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a container provided with a safetyclosure device.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, taken substantiallyon the line 22 of FIGURE 1 and illustrating certain features of thepresent invention.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, illustrating a toolinserted through an opening in the collar of the exterior cap elementinto a recess provided in the collar of the interior cap element so thatboth cap elements may be held together as a unit to permit the containerto be unthreaded therefrom.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, similar to FIGURE 1but showing a modified form of the present invention.

This invention comprises a container and a safety closure devicetherefor. The container is provided with a cylindrical neck at the topthereof and integral threads are molded in the neck as is well known inthe art. The container is provided with a closure device having aninterior cap element including a planar top and a cylin drical collarhaving internal threads mating with the threads on the neck of thecontainer. The top of the interior cap element is provided with acentrally located opening. The safety closure device further includes anexterior cap element having a planar top and a cylindrical collarfitting loosely with respect to and being concentrically arranged withrespect to the collar of the interior cap element.

A centrally located coupling element is secured to the top of theexterior cap element and extends through the opening in the top of theinterior cap element. Fastening means, such as a pin, is carried by thecoupling element for securing the cap elements together for relativerotation therebetween. With such a construction the coupling elementpermits the exterior cap element to be rotated with respect to theinterior cap element. A second opening is provided in the collar of theexterior cap element through which a tool may be inserted so as toengage the outer surface of the collar on the interior cap element tohold the cap elements together as a unit and to thereby permit the capelements to be rotated as a unit relative to the neck of the container.

Referring now to the drawing, there is illustrated a conventional bottleor container 10 provided with a generally cylindrical neck 12 havingformed or molded thereon continuous helical threads 14 as isconventional in the art. The top annular surface of the neck 12surrounding the entrance to the container is designated by the numeral16. The safety closure device 18 includes an inner or interiorcup-shaped element 20 and an outer or exterior cup-shaped cap element22. The safety closure device 18 of this invention requires no costlyspecial bottle structure. The closure device 18 generally resembles inappearance a conventional cover or cap having internal threads whichmate or register with the threads 14 provided on the neck 12 of thecontainer 10.

The inner cap 20 and the outer cap 22 may, as an example, be made frommolded plastic or other suitable material. The inner cap 20 is providedwith a planar top 24 which overlies the mouth of the container 10 and agenerally cylindrical collar 26. The top 24 is provided with a centrallylocated opening 28 therein. The inner surface of the collar 26 isprovided with continuous helical threads 30 which are adapted to matewith the threads 14 on the neck 12 of the container 10. The outersurface of the collar 26 is provided with an indentation or recess 32which is used for a purpose to be hereinafter described. The outer orexterior cap element 22 includes a planar top 34 having dependingtherefrom a generally cylindrical collar 36 which has a length greaterthan the length of the collar 26 provided on the interior cap element20. The collar 36 is provided with an opening 40 which is used for apurpose to be hereinafter described. The planar top 34 of the exteriorcap element 22 is provided with a centrally located opening 42 whichoverlies the opening 28 provided in the planar top 24 of the interiorcap element 20.

A pin 44 having an enlarged head 46 is inserted through the alignedopenings 42 and 28 in the inner and outer cap elements towards the mouthof the 'bottle or container 10. The pin 44 forms a coupling element. Awasher 48 is sleeved over the inner end of the pin 44. As an example,the pin 44 and washer 48 may be made from plastic materials. A fasteningpin 50 is inserted through an opening provided in the inner end of thepin or coupling element 44 so as to secure the inner and outer capelements 20 and 22 and washer 48 together in an assembled but looserelationship. The pin 44 is carried by the outer cap element 22 androtates therewith. With such a construction the exterior cap element 22and pin 44 are mounted for relative rotation with respect to the innercap element 20 due to the rather loose fit or connection providedtherebetween. When the exterior cap element 22 is rotated the inner capelement 20 remains sealed.

A sealing element or disc 52 is located between the inner surface of thetop 24 of the inner cap element 20, with the peripheral edge thereofheld in place, as an example, by means of a groove provided in the innercap element. The disc 52 is adapted to engage and seal the top surface16 of the neck 12 of the container 10. The disc or liner 52 may be madefrom rubber, cork, plastic, plastic coated paper or the like as is wellknown in the art which seals the mouth of the container 10 when theclosure device 18 is in assembled position on the container 10 asillustrated in FIGURE 2. The disc 52 is the last element of the closuredevice which is assembled. The disc 52 is most generally required when aliquid substance is in the container 10.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2 the safety closure device 18 seals thecontents of the container 10, with the'collar 36 of the exterior capelement 22 fitting loosely and being concentrically arranged withrespect to the collar 26 provided on the inner cap element 20. At suchtime the outer cap element 22 may be rotated with respect to the innercap element 20 without disturbing or breaking the threaded and sealedconnection between the interior cap element 20 and threads on the neck12 of the bottle or container 10.

When it is required to open the container 10 the exterior cap element 22is rotated to a position to align the opening 40 provided in the collar36 with the recess 32 provided in the collar 26 of the interior capelement 20. Thereafter a suitable tool 60 is inserted through theopening 40 into the recess 32 of the interior cap element 20. Varioustypes of tools may be used such as a bobbie pin, a car key, a forkprong, a ball point pen point, a pencil, etc. With the tool 60 in theposition illustrated in FIG,- URE 3 the cap elements 20 and 22 cooperatetogether as a unit. In order to open the container 10 the container 10is rotated in one direction with respect to the cooperating cap elements20 and 22 and the tool 69 so as to unthread the neck of the container 10from the safety closure device 18.

When it is required to replace the safety closure cap 18 on thecontainer 16 the reverse operation takes place or in other words the capelements 20 and 22 are held by the tool 60 and thereafter the container10 is rotated in the opposite direction.

FIGURE 4 illustrates a modified form of the present invention and whereapplicable the same numbers will be used to designate similar parts.Rather than utilizingas the coupling element the pin 44, a generallycylindrical stud or stem 66 is molded integrally with the formation ofthe outer cap element 22. The stem 66 performs the same functions as thepin 44 of FIGURES 2 and 3. The operation of the modified safety cap isthe same as heretofore described.

It should be appreciated that the safety closure device may be made fromvarious commercially available materials and used on any size, kind ortype of bottle or container.

While there is shown and described certain specific em- 'bodiments ofthe invention, it will nevertheless be readily apparent that many minorchanges of structure and operation could be made without departing fromthe spirit of the invention :as defined by the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. An assembly including a container and a safety closure thereforincluding in combination: a container having a cylindrical neck at thetop end thereof and integral threads molded in the cylindrical neck, aninterior cupshaped cap element adapted to engage and seal the threadedneck of said container and including :a planar top wall and acylindrical collar having internal threads mating with the threads onthe neck of said container, a centrally located opening in the top wallof said interior cap element, an exterior cup-shaped cap element havinga planar top wall and a cylindrical collar fitting looselyconcentrically about the collar of said interior cap element forrotation relative thereto, a centrally located coupling element carriedby said exterior cap element and extending through the opening in saidinterior cap element into the interior of said container, said couplingelement having an inner end terminating below the inner surface of thetop wall of said interior cap element, a Washer on the inner end of saidcoupling element which is engageable with the inner surface of the topwall of said interior cap element, a transversely extending aperture inthe inner end of said coupling element, a locking pin extending throughsaid aperture for holding said washer against the top wall of saidinterior cap element and for securing said cap elements together, saidcoupling element and said pin permitting said exterior cap element to berotated with respect to said interior cap element, and a secondrelatively small opening in the collar of said exterior cap element,said second opening having an axis which is generally perpendicular tothe axis of the container and is located a fixed distance below the topwall of said exterior cap element laterally opposite the neck of saidcontainer, a relatively small recess in the outer surface of the collarof said interior cap element, said recess when said cap elements areassembled being located the same fixed distance below the top wall ofsaid exterior cap element as said second opening, said exterior capelement being rotatable with respect to said inner cap element and saidcontainer to align with said second opening with said recess, saidsecond opening when aligned with said recess being adapted to receive atool having a relatively small head which extends completely throughsaid second opening into said recess to engage the collar of saidinterior cap element to hold both of said cap elements together as aunit and to thereby permit the said cap elements to be rotated as a unitrelative to the neck of the container for applying or removing said capelements.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1964 Milbourne 215-9 JOSEPHR. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner.

10 FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Examiner.

